UNL student explores people through different majors

Lynn Yen grew up in Brookings, South Dakota, but feels fortunate to have been born, considering her circumstances.

She’s a second child, with an older brother. Her parents are first-generation immigrants from China, where it’s illegal to have a second child if the first was a boy. Yen was born after they moved to America. Otherwise, she wouldn’t exist.

She’s been to China four times, which allowed her to see the different culture and learn about its growth.

“I’m glad for those trips, those eye-opening experiences,” she said.

Growing up, Yen was aware of the differences between her and her mostly white peers in South Dakota, and she didn’t always like them. But the attention to people’s actions led her to pursue an economics major.

Through that major, Yen learned about socio-economics, her favorite economics topic.

“I like how we achieve things as communities,” she said.

But eventually Yen turned her focus toward a new major: journalism. She saw people as a common denominator between the fields. Journalism still allows Yen to explore the why of the things people do.

“But (with journalism) you do it much more up close,” she said.listen

Whether it was through travel, economics or journalism, Yen has loved learning about people her entire life.

“I think I’ve always been that way,” she said. “I think it’s part of my nature.”